


Reunion

by Lord_Winterman



Series: Naruto: Re [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Could be a fix fic, Hindsight Fic, I have a plan (I think), Nothing is true and everything is permitted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2020-04-24 20:49:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19181122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Winterman/pseuds/Lord_Winterman
Summary: A simple action causes destiny and fate to be rewritten. An AU where Obito returns to Konoha and Rin survives the events of her kidnapping. I do not own Naruto. That honor goes to Masashi Kishimoto. I'm just using the world as a sandbox for this fan-fic.





	1. Chapter 1

Naruto: Re

Section I: Reunion

Chapter One

 

The moment the boy had departed from the cave, Madara cracked his solitary eye open.   

            “What will you do with your freedom, Obito?” the old man murmured to no one in particular. “Will you shape your own fate, or will destiny choose for you?” He snorted as he directed one of the Zetsu into position. “Let’s observe the proceedings, shall we?”

 

[NRE]

 

Obito flew through the treetops, faster than he ever had before. He had been sitting in a cave trying to recover from being crushed by a boulder, and out of nowhere, Zetsu tells him that Kakashi and Rin are in danger. Gurguru helped him get out, and Madara did not stop him, both of which he was grateful for. Now he was racing to their location. Madara had said the Sharingan’s power was greater with both eyes, he just needed to get to Kakashi, then they would protect Rin.

Mid-jump, Obito’s mind blanked out and he found himself skipping across the ground, bouncing off tree roots. Jumping back to his feet, he tried to regain his bearings. The trees were different than the ones he had just been jumping through and rain fell on him.

“Where am I?” he wondered aloud.

Before he could hear Zetsu reply, an image faded into his mind, right were his missing eye should have been. Blood, mud, and rain splattered as the person whose eyes he was looking through whipped around, cutting through a shinobi wearing Kiri forehead guard. A glance over his shoulder, he could see Rin, following at a slower pace.

Again, Obito’s mind blanked out, this time keeping his balance, and he found himself kneeling on a hilltop overlooking a battlefield. Kakashi and Rin were surrounded by enemies. He could see Rin's mouth moving, pleading with Kakashi. He could read her lips as they formed every word, but two words stood out from all the others: “kill me”.

It was almost imperceptible, but Obito could see the myriad of emotions in the young jonin's eyes as she said this. Fear and resignation. Horror. But underneath it all, he could see resolution. It became clear for what when he shoved her aside and activated chidori.

 _He's keeping his promise,_ Obito thought. Genius, prodigy or whatever other title one could tag to Kakashi, he could not defeat those shinobi on his own. Obito gritted his teeth. His friends were in danger. He had to help them. Without thinking, Obito found himself standing in the field, his hand sticking in a Kiri shinobi's chest.

"What are you doing?" Zetsu asked.

"People who abandon their friends are the worst kind of trash," Obito replied.

The Kiri shinobi stood dumbstruck as they processed what had happened. Walking to his friends, Obito remembered what Madara had said on how he survived.

_Let's see..._

Grabbing Kakashi and Rin, both of whom were surprised at his sudden appearance, he tried to recall the experience of being crushed under the boulder. To his relief, he put them at the treeline.

 _Neat,_ he thought, _I’ll have to learn that trick later._

Both of his friends looked at him in shock, not recognizing him.

"Stay here, Rin, Kakashi,” said Obito. “It's my turn to protect you, now."

Jumping down to the foot of the hill, he focused through his eye. Black flames spouted out, blanketing the battlefield. Feeling the technique drain him, he stopped it and leaped into the battlefield, landing into the middle of a grouping of survivors.

Instinctively, Obito generated a wooden blade from his prosthetic arm and grabbed the nearest enemy. Even without the killing intent that Obito was casting off, the bloody eyes, murderous gaze, and living armor opening up were enough to scare his victim to soiling himself.

Driving the wooden blade into the man, Obito snapped it off and threw his victim at the man's friends, where the corpse suddenly, and violently grew, skewering six of them. The spines that made up the mask slammed shut as he turned to face the survivors. Three of them bombarded the boy with kunai and shiruken, while their companions began furiously signing.

"Suiton: Water prison jutsu."

"Suiton: water chains."

Just as the two shinobi released their jutsu, Obito had already landed behind them, skewering them as he caught the swordsman mid-swing. With a psychotic grin, Obito used the strength of his living armor to crush the man's wrists and wrench the blade free. A brace of kunai flew past him. With his newly acquired weapon, he decapitated the screaming man and leaped at the blade throwing shinobi. The first two went down with slashed throats and no resistance. Their friend signed and pointed at the berserking Uchiha.

"Raiton: lightning-"

The incantation was cut short, along with the offending appendage.

Searching for more targets for his rage, Obitio found himself surrounded by four foes. He could only flinch as they all simultaneously plunged their weapons into his torso.

"Two katana, a jian, and a blade-staff." Obito noted, chuckling. "That tickles."

Glancing at the nearest attacker, Obitio activated his Sharingan and plunged the man into a personal hell with Tsukuyomi. Swinging his arm around, he caught the next Kiri shinobi in the chest, caving the bone into her internal organs.

Whipping his hand back, he barely missed his next victim's head. Guessing where he was going, Obito settled for impalement, stabbing him with a wooden blade. The last of the four gave up his sword for loss and slid back as Obtio spun to hit him.

"Suiton: Water cannon jutsu!"

The jet of water slammed Obito back, nearly knocking him over, if not for the soggy soil lacking the necessary traction. With a grunt, Obtio ejected the blades from his body. Snatching the blade-staff from the air, he threw it like a spear, sinking it to the hilt on a fleeing ninja.

The remaining Kiri ninja surrounded Obitio, some already signing their techniques.

"Get the prisoner and her friend,” one shouted. “We'll deal with this one."

Budding a quick array of stumps, Obtio took the departing shinobi down with a wooden dart apiece. Seeing his men fall to the ground, the leader looked at Obito. Matching his gaze, he tried to control his breathing. The display had obviously done a number on him.

"So I’m guessing you're from Konoha." the leader said, chagrined. "I never figured they had someone like you among their ranks. To tear through squads of Kiri elite…what are you? Senju? I haven't heard of Mukton user since your first Hokage.”

"The dead have no need for names," Obitio said, smiling under his mask. He looked at the assembled shinobi, those still standing, cackling like a madman.

Focusing out of his eye once more, Obtio swept his sight around, incinerating all but the leader, who managed to escape his field of view by falling into the swampy ground. When the technique ended, a number of corpses burned in the mud and blood oozed from around his eye.

The leader emerged from a mound of mud, steam rising from his shoulders.

“I didn’t make it to jonin by being weak,” he growled.

"Obitio, you’re going to-" Zetsu began.

“Shut up!” Obito hissed, signing quickly. “Katon: grand fireball jutsu!"

The Kiri jonin dove to the side, flinging a pair of kunai.

Rather than dodge, Obito slapped the blades, activating the explosive tags attached to them, the blast sending him careening through the air. Dragging himself to his feet, Obito cursed his lack of attention. His Sharingan had deactivated from the sudden exertion of chakra he had inadvertently use to protect himself. He glared at the enemy as he stepped over his fallen comrades. Refocusing, Obito tried to use Ameratsu again, Zetsu screaming as the last of its chakra was sucked out of him to fuel the black flames. The Kiri shinobi flinched, but calmed when he saw the technique sputter out inches from his face.

"It seems your black flames are limited," the Kiri jonin said. "A shame. For you that is. I think it's time to end this."

A sudden crunching noise interrupted any further action. The jonin looked at the lightning wreathed hand protruding from his chest as it flickered out.

"Yes," Kakashi said, pulling his arm free. "It is time to end this." Withdrawing his hand, Kakashi let the jonin fall, splattering mud when he hit the ground. For a while, he stared at Obito, which became awkward really fast, then Obito remembered the mask. The infernal covering failed to withdraw as it had before, and was dry. Dryer than it should have in a monsoon. Raising his hand, he pulled the mask off, the cover breaking apart in his hand.

"Hey, Kakashi," said Obito cheerily. Kakashi’s eyes widened.

"Obito? Is that really you?"

"Come on, who else would be pulling your butt out of the fire? How's the eye working out for you?"

Rin landed next to her teammates.

"Hi, Rin." Obito said, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. To his surprise, bits of Zetsu were falling off.

"You're really alive?" She asked.

As Obito remembered, Kakashi went to business. "It won't be long before this many dead nin are noticed, especially after your...display." Following Kakashi’s lead, the trio jogged out of the clearing. The trees offered little protection from the elements, so they began looking for a cave. When they were sure that they were reasonably safe, Kakashi went to his questions.

“Where were you?” Kakashi demanded. “If you were alive, why didn't you report back?”

"It's…it’s a long story," Obito sheepishly replied.

"I think we have time now."

"No we don't," Rin said. "You have to finish me off."

Her teammates stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Why!?" Obito asked, breaking the silence. "We just saved you!"

"You don't understand," she replied. "They sealed the something inside me-"

"We can work-"

"Let me finish!” Obito flinched at the sharp tone. “On top of their normal seal, they put another one, which will release it as soon as I'm in Konoha."

Obito felt helpless. He had just gotten back to his friends, and now Rin was saying that she had to die. _No!_ He had come too far to give up this easily.

"Sensei will know what to do," Kakashi said.

Obito frowned as he fell into thought. "But how do we get to him, and him to Rin, without setting Rin's secondary seal off?" he asked. "Can we at least get her to the Land of Fire?"

"I have a better idea. And it fulfils all the conditions we require and is closer, too. It's a friendly encampment we have near the coast."

“Of course!” The Uchiha resisted the urge to slap himself upside the head. "Sounds like a plan!"

"Can you move, Obito?" Rin asked.

"Well enough," he replied confidently.

Kakashi nodded. "We’ll rest here for an hour then move out." The three of them slumped against the walls of the cave, Rin hugging to Kakashi. Obito felt a pang of envy, which he promptly squelched.

 

[NRE]

 

Hearing his connection to the Zetsu he had paired with Obito die, Madara sighed. The boy had an astounding amount of luck on his side. Still, while it was a good plan, he did not necessarily hang too much on this plan working. Too many variables and moving pieces to be a sure shot.

He just had to fall back to his original schedule. Sure, he had inadvertently given Konoha another tailed beast. Sure, he had tipped some of his hand early with the boy, but the chances of someone believing that he, Madara Uchiha, was still alive were dubious at best. The possibility of anyone in power letting that information out to the open were practically non-existent.

Above all, he was immortal. What were a few more years to him?

Taking a deep breath, Madara absorbed the energy he had stored in the statue, revitalizing himself, dispelling the gimmick that hid his other eye. The original Zetsu gave the Uchiha a confused look as he stood up.

“Let’s move our base of operations,” Madara said. His eyes shifted, the spiraling pattern whirring to life, casting a red glow on the room. And then the hideout relocated to another part of the Elemental Nations.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter 2

 

            Kakashi suppressed the urge to fidget.

            As soon as they had gotten to friendly forces, both of his teammates had been spirited away for their respective "treatments". Rin was with Minato and some other sealing experts. The initial speculation had been iffy, but with a genuine master at sealing on hand, hope was not in too short a supply on her end.

            Obito, on the other hand, after some brief medical attention, had been taken in for interrogation. His survival and absence had propped him to the top levels of suspicion. And that was before the accounts of the battle had come in. The origins of his new techniques were another source of concern.

            No one since the Shodiame had been able to use wood techniques, and as far as Kakashi knew, Obito had no shared blood ties to him or his descendants. Yet he had seen Obito clearly using Mukton techniques with abandon, and to great effect. His display with the Sharingan was also rather breathtaking. Kakashi had counted almost fifty enemies, even after he had exhausted himself fighting. To see all of them go down in a couple of minutes, to techniques he had never seen with his own eyes or even heard of before. In fact, the only technique he recognized was one of the Uchiha staples, the grand fireball.

            Now that Kakashi had time to review the day’s events, he realized that Obito had only once signed and incanted. For that one move.

            It was going to be hard to be seen as the best of his class once word of that got around.

            A familiar visage and blond hair stepped through the tent flaps where Rin was being held.

            "How does it look, Sensei?" Kakashi asked.

            "Kushina is touching up the seals right now. Rin needs some rest from the ordeal, but apart from the overhaul on her chakra network, which is not a life-threatening concern right now, she is well on the road to recovery."

            "What about Obito?"

            "I wish I knew. Interrogation still has him. Knowing those guys, they'll be grilling him for a few hours or more before they let up. Inochi will probably have a verdict by tomorrow morning, though."

            Minato managed to force a smile. Strenuous as the circumstances were, he had gotten one of his students back. If nothing else, they would at least have some closure.

            "Captain Minato," a Hyuga called, landing next to man in question.

            "Yes, Hizashi?"

            "Inochi called for you. We have some...troubling intel we need to run by you."

            Kakashi tried not to let his apprehension nor his exhaustion show. Not until he knew how Rin and Obito were. Minato, however, picked up on it anyways.

            "Get some rest, Kakashi." He said, placing a calming hand on the young jonin's shoulder. "You look like a stiff wind will knock you down. I will make sure you get as full a story as possible in the morning."

 

[NRE]

 

            Obito wanted to fall asleep. He felt immensely tired, but sleep seemed to be far off. Minato-Sensei had been checking him for anything the old freak might have left on him, but, to their mutual relief, Obito was cleared…for now. The subsequent interrogation he had gone through had been grueling, so many questions with no answer he could give or an answer that he could not properly explain. His ancestor being alive was one that troubled them the most. The fact that he was sporting an organic prosthetic and an esoteric elemental release were just as perplexing to the interrogators.

            He thought back to a few days earlier. A field of gore, broken bodies, and burnt remains. The whole thing was both horrifying and exhilarating at the same time. Even Kakashi had been impressed. Or at least, Obito hoped he was. He was definitely surprised, something that he had only accomplished once before. Rin had been too tired to judge her reaction, but hopefully neither of them would be scared of him.

_Dang it!_ He thought, slamming a closed fist into the ground. _I want to sleep!_

            Rest eluded him throughout the night. Aggravated, he got out of bed and walked out onto the dewy ground, finding a nice place to sit and watch the sunrise. He could tell people were watching him as he walked through the camp.

_They’re waiting for me to betray them._

            Someone cleared their throat behind him, causing him to jump. When he saw it was Kakashi, he relaxed. _That cave was way too quiet._

            "Hey, Kakashi!" Obito said.

            “Hey,” Kakashi replied. Obito frowned. Something was weighing on his teammate’s mind.

            "In case you were wondering,” Obito said, hoping to ease the tension, “I don't need to take that eye back. It was a gift, and it looks like you've been making good use of it so far.”

            "That wasn't what I was going to ask, but...thanks."

            "No problem! So what were you going to ask me about?"

            "Just curious as to how you're doing."

            "All things considered, I feel pretty good. Glad to have some good company again.”

            “Nice hair, by the way.”

            “Really? It’s longer than Rin’s now, isn’t it.” Obito paused and looked at Kakashi. “You’re joking.”

            “That wasn’t joking,” Kakashi replied.

            “Compared to the way you normally are, you’re joking. You’re always so grim and serious. This has to be breaking several universal laws.” Obtio grinned at the young jonin, but quickly sobered. “So, how's Rin?”

            Kakashi tensed, but relaxed. "She's going to be fine." Obito sighed.

            “What happened since...?”

            “The war is still going, as you probably guessed. I’m not sure how much longer it’s going to be though.”

            “Are you two…you know?”

            “We’re…working on that.”

            Obito blinked. “Oh.”

            “I-“

            “Don’t,” Obito said, waving. “Why should I begrudge your happiness? You all had every reason to think I was dead.” Mollified, Kakashi relaxed again. “Just remember that if you do anything to break her heart, I’ll be sure to break yours.” Kakashi nodded his acknowledgement.

            “It’s good to have you back, Obito.”

 

[NRE]

 

            Obito blinked owlishly in beginnings of morning light. He still had trouble adjusting to the day/night cycle again after having been underground for so long. His eyes adjusted just fine, but the presence of things besides cold cavern walls was refreshing as it was alien to him.

            Getting to his feet, he donned the spare set of clothes that had been laid out for him and joined the others in breaking down camp. Orders were ferried up and down the encampment as they prepared to move out again.

            It had been weeks of sporadic operations before Obito and Rin were to be sent back home after their…misadventures. As luck would have it, Minato’s squad was to cycle out with another unit before their deployment to another theater of operations. A scout had already alerted them of their relief’s approach.

            “Thank you.” He turned to where his student was practicing running up a tree. “Hear that, Obito?”

            Obito finished his climb, scrambling to the nearest branch before answering. “Yes, Sensei.”

            “Good. That should cover things for now. If you feel dizzy or fatigued, let us know.”

            A part of him wanted to protest the treatment, but he bit his tongue and nodded. Minato smiled and went his way, leaving Obito to drop down to the ground.

            “At least you aren’t going to have to be carried,” Rin said, looking up from her spot on the trunk.

            “Yeah,” Obito grumbled.

            Rin smiled and stood up. “Come on.”

            Joining the rest of their traveling party, Kakashi glanced back at them, giving them a nod while Kushina hefted Rin up.

            “Alright, everyone,” Minato said. “Move out!”

 

[NRE]

 

            The familiar gates of rose up along the horizon, the white walls of the Hidden Village of the Leaf a nostalgic balm for fading memories. Obito made a series of hops until he was standing on top of a building overlooking the village. Wind blew his hair wildly, but he couldn’t find himself to care as he took in the view of his home.

            “It’s good to be back,” he said with a sigh.

            Kakashi landed next to him. “Well, there’ll be plenty of time to reminisce after you get settled back in.”

            “I know. I just thought I would never see it again.”

            “Hey,” Rin hollered up at them. “We have business to take care of.”

            “Right!”

            The two boys jumped back down to the street and caught up with the medic. While he was distracted, Kushina tugged him in for a hug.

            “Glad you’re home,” she said, tussling his hair, and for once, Obito did not protest.

 

[NRE]

 

            The Sandiame was grim-faced as Minato relayed his report, chewing his pipe thoughtfully. Nothing had been put to paper, and probably never would

            “This is a rather disturbing turn of events,” the Hokage finally said. “But not a complete catastrophe. You should be proud of your team.”

            “Yes, sir,” Minato replied. “Do you think Kiri will make a play to retrieve the Three-Tails?”

            “Perhaps. If they admit to this blunder, the current Mizukage would lose considerable face among the other villages. I doubt it will happen before this war is over, that is if they even know we’re the ones who currently have it. Your students were certain that there were no survivors among the enemy combatants?”

            “Yes, and I had a team sweep the area. The bodies were undisturbed. Even recovered a few of them. They’ve already been turned over to R&D.”

            “Good work. I’ll make sure we keep our eyes and ears open for future developments.”

 

[NRE]

 

            Escorted into Torture & Interrogation, Obito was surprised to find himself directed to a pleasant office space. Soothing colors, wooden furniture with cushions, book cases. All in all, a rather relaxing atmosphere. If you ignored the metaphorical shadow T&I typically cast over everything.

            Norio Yamanaka was much like others of his clan. Blond, pale, pupilless, teal-green eyes. Beyond those features, he resembled Inoichi more closely than others from their clan. The shrink looked up from the report he had in his hand.

            “Don’t worry, this isn’t your usual interrogation.” He gestured for Obito to sit. “While you were debriefed, there are still other things to consider. Namely, your rehabilitation.”

            “I’m fine,” Obito replied. “I’ve already fought in a battle since I’ve returned to action.”

            “But you still need to be psychologically evaluated. And even though you have proven more or less functional, you were lethargic for an extended period. I assume that was from recovering from your injuries.”

            “Really, I’m-“

            “Let me finish. It’s nothing more than we do for any others who are wounded in the line of duty or captured. The main point of concern is that there may be lingering trauma that could be repressed and later resurface at a time of inconvenience. So, while you’re in recovery, or however long is necessary, we’ll have monthly meetings to ascertain your progress. Do you understand?”

            “I think so.”

            “Excellent. Let’s get started.”

 

[NRE]

 

            Reemerging from, Obito let out a quiet sigh. The sun was already beginning to drift beneath the horizon. As he went further into town, he could see shops closing for the night. Some restaurants were still busy from the dinner traffic.

“It’s time to go home,” he murmured.

            Entering the Uchiha District, he took in familiar sights and smells.

            _I never thought I would miss it all this much,_ he thought.

            He made his way down familiar streets until he came to his front door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on it twice. Silence reigned for a minute before he tried again.

            “Grandma. I’m home.”

            No answer.

            “That’s strange.”

            Testing the door, he found it unlocked, opened it, and entered.

            “Grandma?”

            The house was dark, with no trace of the usual warmth anywhere. Coverings had been draped over the furniture, some of which had been removed. Seeing the faint layer of dust, he rushed back outside and breathed heavily.

            “Obito?”

            Obito looked down the walkway where a woman was staring at him in shock, clutching her two children close to each other.

            “Hey, Aunt Amaya,” Obito replied. He really wasn’t sure how he was related to the woman, but she had served in that role for as long as he could remember. “What’s up?”

            “They said that you were killed in action,” she said, voice far off. “We thought you were dead.” 

            “To be honest, everyone else did,” he replied, chuckling weakly. “Hey, um, could you tell me where my grandmother is? I thought she would be in, but…”

            Amaya frowned and looked away. “Masumi died little more than a month ago. I’m sorry.”

            Obito stood still, all feeling leaving as he processed the words.

            “No…”

            “I can take you to the memorial, if you would like.”

            He nodded dumbly and followed at a sedate pace, not paying attention as Amaya led the way. It wasn’t until she had stopped that he finally focused on his surroundings again.

            They were standing in the cemetery, rows upon rows of headstones marking those who had died outside of service. Masumi had only served as a shinobi briefly before Obito’s father had been born, and left her headband in storage for as long as Obitio could remember, and presumably until the end of her days. Like every other clan member, her earthly remains had been reduced to ash before her burial.

Obito said nothing as he stared at the marker, barely noticing one of Amaya’s children holding his hand.

            “I can’t tell you how many days she sat on the porch,” Amaya said, rousing him from his thoughts. “She was certain that you would come back, strolling down the walkway like usual.”

            “Thanks, Aunt Amaya,” Obito said. “I can handle myself from here.”

            She hesitated, but gathered her children. “Alright, then. If you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me.”

            Obito hummed absently in reply, waiting until they were gone. Once he was alone, his remaining self-control withered and he broke down sobbing. By the time he had finished, dusk had already come.

            Regaining his composure, he held up his artificial hand, growing a flower out of wood, then set it on the headstone. It was a rough looking thing, but it was the most he could do at the moment, so he silently promising to bring a proper bouquet at a later date, then made his way back to his empty house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: After… *checks story stats* …exactly three years, Reunion (redubbed as Naruto: Re) has finally moved out of the station. There are some minor changes to the first chapter, but not much (the future segment was removed, and some of the initial chapter is now part of this chapter). Feel free to go back and see for yourself.
> 
> In any case, a little bit of jumping and some minor angst. Thankfully, there are therapists for that, and the feelings will be healthily managed in time. 
> 
> Speaking of which, Norio Yamanaka is an original character I developed for the purposes of this story. Amaya Uchiha is also an OC, but mostly because it’s kind of hard to work with a nameless character in the narrative.  
> As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

 

            Night passed and Obito never left the dining room, never bothering with the lights. Sitting in a chair next to the table, he scarcely moving a muscle the entirety of his vigil, keeping it long after morning had broken. It wasn’t until there was a knocking on his door that he moved. The knocking was soon upgraded to pounding.

            “Coming,” he hollered.

            Rising from his seat, he loosened his joints and muscles and strode to the front of the house. He slid the door open, where a pair of Uchiha were standing in full gear and regalia.

            “Good morning,” Obito said.

            “It’s practically noon,” one gruffly replied.

            The second one cleared his throat, shooting his partner a glare. “Obito, the Clan Head is here to see you.”

            The two stepped to the sides, and Utagawa Uchiha slipped through the door, surveying the room, all but ignoring the resident. Obito eked out a quick bow. The man had been the clan leader for as long as he could remember, the enduring pillar of the Uchiha of Konoha. Being so far down the normal pecking order of the family, him visiting out of the blue-

            “What can I do for you, Utagawa-sama?” Obito asked, glancing around the kitchen. “I’d offer tea, but…I don’t know where anything is right now.”

            Utagawa continued to look around. “That will not be required. This is a courtesy visit; nothing more, nothing less.” He took a deep breath and finally looked at Obito directly. “I will be blunt with you, Obito: your survival, among other things, is cause for some concern among the Clan.”

            “What’s the problem, Utagawa-sama?”

            “That will be addressed at a later date. Once this conflict is over, you can expect a summons from the elders. I expect you to respond promptly when the time comes. Perhaps you can provide the answers to alleviate our concerns. Good day.”

            Without another word, Utagawa turned around and walked back out of the house, leaving Obito to stare at the door.

 

[NRE]

 

            After Utagawa had left, Obito stepped outside, his feet carrying him around the village. He stopped by his family’s grave markers, then wandered over to the memorial stone, noting his name still etched into its side.

            He didn’t bother to keep track of time, whether it was spent standing or wandering around the village. No one seemed inclined to talk to him, people giving him a wide berth as he walked down the streets, head bowed and hands in his pockets.

            Without really thinking about it, Obito found himself wandering towards his Sensei’s house. Before he could knock, Minato opened the door. It was kind of strange seeing him in casual clothes, but he was still polite and professional in spite of it.

            “Obito? Are you okay?”

            Obito’s answer was a short and terse “no”.

            His Sensei made a face, then stepped aside. “Come inside.”

            Kicking off his sandals, he was sat down in the dining room while his Sensei prepared some tea.

            “So, what happened?” Minato asked.

            Obito sighed, heavily. “Apparently I’m in trouble with the clan,” he replied. “Don’t know why, and they won’t give me any details until they can get enough of the Clan together for a proper judgement.”

            Minato hummed. “After we got back, Kakashi got called onto the carpet for suddenly having a Sharingan. Nothing came of it in the end, but that may have something to do with why this came up so soon.”

            “They were mad because I gave him my eye?”

            “That was their main grievance.”

            “Well, I wasn’t exactly thinking straight at the time, and it seem like I would be needing it anymore, but I like to think I’d have made the same choice in the end.” Obito bit the inside of his cheek. “In the meantime, I have no idea what’s happening with my old house. None of my family’s around anymore, and I’m not sure I _want_ to go back there.”

“Then I might as well make sure the guest room is ready.”

“Sorry to dump this on you.”

            Minato patted Obito’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. As one of my genin, you’re my responsibility anyway, even more so given the circumstances. If it helps, just think of it as a temporary place until you can find your footing elsewhere. Jiraiya did the same for me when my mom died.” He paused and looked at Obito. “Still, you going to be okay?”

            “I don’t know. I need some sleep first.”

            “Well, I’ll roll out some bedding for the guest room.”

 

 

[NRE]

 

            Quiet and dark were concepts that Obito had become quite familiar with during his time in Madara’s care, and with that familiarity came contempt. He had nodded off for an hour, only to wake up and find the clock reading somewhere after midnight. After fruitless attempts to find sleep, he eventually zoned out from boredom, only snapping back out shortly before dawn.

            Rolling out of the guest bed, he stretched a little than meandered over to the bathroom, wincing a little when the light came on until his eye adjusted.

He hadn’t really gotten to look in the mirror when he showered at T&I, so the image he had of himself was based off of the comments he got from others. Looking in the mirror was something of a shock.

He knew that his right side was a mess, but the patched-together ruin was alarming. His eyes had bags under them, and his cheeks were a little sharper than her remembered. His hair was a wild nest of tangles that he did not relish the thought of brushing it all out. He thought about getting it cut, then immediately discarded the idea.

            _Master Jiraiya has long hair, maybe he has some tips on maintaining it._

Taking a quick shower, he made an effort to sort his hair out, then got dressed for the day and went back into his room to explore, nearly getting buried in nets and fishing poles for his troubles. Once he untangled himself and shoved the avalanche back into the closet, he wandered into the common area of the house, looking for something to occupy his attention quietly.

There were more than a few pictures on display, some of Minato as a genin, with plenty others as a jonin. Following along the display, he stopped at a picture of people he didn’t recognize. An aging man with brown hair and sharp, blue eyes standing beside a young woman was blond with hazel eyes.

While he was going through the display, he heard a stirring back in the master bedroom.

            “You’re up early,” Minato said as he entered the living room.

            “Can’t sleep,” Obito replied. “Didn’t really think much about it in the cave, but I could sort of rest, but not actually sleep.” Looking back at the frame, he held it up. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before.”

            “I usually kept it in storage. I was getting a little sentimental after Kanabi Bridge.”

            Obito blinked. “Oh.”

            “Why don’t you take a seat? I’ll cobble something together for breakfast.

Looking at his Sensei’s back as he cracked some eggs over the skillet.

“So,” the blond said, keeping an eye on the sizzling food. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was wondering what it was like for you growing up. You said Jiraiya raised you, but I was wondering where the rest of your family was. You never really talked about them.”

            Minato looked up from the food. “There isn’t much to say, really.” The older man frowned for a moment, then flipped the eggs over. “In short, my mom’s side came from civilian fishermen.”

            “So that’s why all that gear was in the closet,” Obito grumbled.

            “Right. I learned enough to continue the trade if I wanted, but…that wasn’t the life I wanted. As for my father, he was a first generation shinobi. Never really got to know either of them before they were gone, and all I know is second-hand stories from family and acquaintances.”

            “So that’s your dad, here?” Obito asked. “He looks kind of old in the picture.”

            Minato snorted. “He was. Older than the Sandiame, actually. My mom was in her early twenties when they married, and I think the old man was nearly forty.”

            “What happened?”

            “Don’t know. Not much in the records about him other than some basic info. It doesn’t take much to guess what a forty-year-old chuunin could be getting up to that would leave such a scarce paper trail.”

            “ANBU?”

            Minato shrugged. “Probably. All I know is that he went on a mission shortly after I was born and never came back. Mom died of an illness a few years later, leaving me to be raised by an aunt until I graduated.”

            A knock on the door interrupted them.

“I’ll get it,” Obito said, moseying to the entryway. Shoving his sandals into a more sensible place, he slid the door open. A familiar, albeit tired face greeted him.

            “Rin? What are you doing here?”

            “You’re a bit of a surprise, too” she replied, leaning to look around him. “I’m here to see Kushina-sensei. She said to meet her here for some special training.”

            “Training begins now!”

Obito could only watch in a mixture of stunned silence and existential horror as the Fiery Habanero of Konoha body-slammed his teammate, knocking her off the porch and into the yard under a trail of red hair. Rin sucked in sweet oxygen after having it forced out of her lungs, laying in a daze from the collision.

Minato appeared right behind him and poked his head out to see what was the matter, finding his girlfriend pinning his student’s face down on his front lawn.

            “You weren’t ready~,” Kushina declared with a grin. “Gotta be ready for anything, you know.”

            “How long were you hiding in the bushes, Kushina?” Minato asked with a groan.

            Kushina jumped up, dusting off her clothes. “Long enough.”

            “Right.” Minato shook his head. “Anyway, the dojo is ready whenever you are. Don’t break anything, and I’ll have a full breakfast when you’re done. Try to keep things quiet. People are still trying to sleep.”

            “I love you, too!” she said, dragging a feebly protesting Rin behind the house.

            Obito blinked, still stunned by the display. “What was that about?”

            “Kushina’s taking Rin under her wing until she gets her chakra under control again. More tea?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, Obito has trouble brewing with the Uchiha clan. Still working out the finer details at the moment, but the rough outline has been completed. In the meantime, he and Rin have some recuperation to do.
> 
> As far as I can tell, we never really learn anything about Minato’s family history in canon. Probably wasn’t necessary, but considering Minato seemed to have a very close relationship with Jiraiya, my guess is that he was an orphan of some sort (typical), and not of any substantial clan.
> 
> Right now, Obito is aware of Rin being a Jinchuriki, but not Kushina. Minato’s going to be keeping that under wraps for now. Rin getting tackled by Kushina was added almost last minute since the guys were being too serious (that, and it was kind of hilarious).  
> Some things that will be happening in the near future:  
> \- Team Minato will be temporarily broken up while Rin and Obito recover.  
> \- Rin’s getting trained by Kushina, gaining control of the new tenant in her gut.  
> \- More therapy for Obito, physical as well as psychological.  
> \- Shuffled team assignments.
> 
> Questions? Concerns? Comments? Even if it’s to tell me my usage of honorifics sucks (it probably does), feel free to leave a review or PM. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

 

            Rin groaned on the dojo floor where her new teacher had deposited her. The redhead was apologetic. Somewhat.

            “Sorry about that,” Kushina said. “You know, I’d been hiding out for hours and I was getting a little twitchy. And you looked like you were still waking up.”

            “Consider me awake then, Sensei,” Rin answered from her place on the floor.

            “Not yet. We’re going to start off with a light spar. Get the blood flowing, you know?” The redhead cracked her knuckles. “Believe me, you’re going to need your wits about you for this.”

 

[NRE]

 

            Tsunade Senju stared at the report on Obito Uchiha. She was hailed as a genius, an expert on pretty much every medical practice under the sun. Yet, she could not make heads or tails of the borderline crime against nature the boy had been forcibly turned into.

            The boy in question was messing around with the replacement limb, accidently shedding a poor sculpture of a cat he had been growing onto the floor, where it neatly shattered.

            Running a hand through her hair, Tsunade sat down on the chair that she had gotten for her temporary office.

            “I’m not even sure how it happened,” she began. “It’s like someone affixed part of a tree onto your side and let it grow _into_ you, linking up with your chakra network and nervous system. I’m still scratching my head over that one, not to mention some of the other modifications that I’m having to puzzle out. The most obvious is something that comes across as photosynthesis, so eating isn’t as much of a problem for you. Same goes for sleeping.”

            “I kind of noticed,” Obito muttered bitterly.

            “I would normally recommend taking something to help you sleep, but that brings up the next modification I noticed. Your cells regenerate at an accelerated rate, partially fueled by the aforementioned photosynthesis combined with your normal chakra reserves, which is also inexplicably increased. You’d metabolize any foreign substances before they could do anything, damaging or benign.”

            “Wouldn’t that be because of having the wooden thingy stitched to me? Doesn’t that make me like some sort of pseudo-Shodiame?”

            Tsunade looked at the boy, utterly flabbergasted. “No! That’s not how biology works! You can’t just yank out various body parts, especially foreign material like this, and plug them into someone else and expect them to work. Not without risking some serious complications. Even mundane organs have to have be tested for compatibility, let alone Kekki Genkai, and even if the tissue and your immune system doesn’t violently reject the implantation, it doesn’t automatically give you god-like powers!”

            “Then how did Rin transfer my eye to Kakashi?”

            Tsunade opened her mouth, then snapped it shut again. “I don’t know, but I plan on grilling her when she comes by later.” She turned around, pitching the clipboard at her desk. “If she’s going to violate the laws of nature and acceptable medical practices, she should damn well appreciate the fact!” Calming down, she looked back at the report. “Also, I should probably have her finish on Kakashi’s eye. That drain on his chakra is going to kill him if he’s not careful.”

            Obito pondered the medic’s rant. “And the Mokuton?”

            “Your own Mokuton is not quite the same as my grandfather’s, even if they are a bit similar.” _Another concern_ , the Sannin thought, then shook her head. It could easily be another bloodline that produced this variation. The alternative was too disturbing to consider. “He worked more on growing things around himself, instead of growing things off of himself as you do.”

            “Oh.”

            “And while we’re on that subject, you’re probably not going to hear too much from my family. Though, if there were any eligible bachelorettes, I’m sure you’d be seeing marriage proposals when they realize what’s up.”

            Obito blanched so suddenly, Tsunade was concerned he was about to go into a fit.

 

 

[NRE]

           

            A final kick sent Rin rolling across the dojo. Her muscles burned and breaths came in short gasps as she struggled back to her feet.

            Kushina clapped her hands once. “Right, that’s enough for now.”

 _Thank the gods!_ Rin breathed heavily, gracelessly plopping on the floor across from Kushina. “That’s what you call a light spar?”

            Her teacher walked to the corner where a pair of canteens were stashed. “Once you get use to channeling that massive reserve of chakra, you bet’cha! Now, get yourself comfortable, well, not too comfortable, ‘cause now we get to do classroom, you know?”

            Sitting back up, Rin swept her hair out of her face and caught her canteen, watching as Kushina walked around the room.

            “What do you know of the Demons?” the older woman asked.

            Drinking deeply, Rin tapped her fingers together as she childhood stories and abstract lessons came to mind.

            “Creatures made of solid chakra, presumed to have originated from another plane.”

            Her teacher inclined her head at her answer. “Mostly correct, there’s a little more to it than that.” Kushina plopped down in front of her protégé.

            “I think I read something somewhere that some of the kekkei genkai possibly originated with some of them, though I’m not sure how much of that was factual.”

            “Wouldn’t surprise me.” Kushina took a huge gulp from her canteen. “There’s been plenty of demons in the past, and they have, or rather _had_ their own hierarchy. By the time of the Warring Clans Period, most of them had been hunted to the point of extinction or went into hiding in obscure parts of the world. But the big ones, the Great Tailed-Beasts were a league unto themselves.”

            Sitting up straighter, Rin leaned into the conversation.

            “From what Mito-baa-sama said, there’s supposed to be nine in total, starting from one tail and working up to nine. Each one of them were practically forces of nature, calamities incarnate wandering around the countryside as they laid waste to all of mankind’s creations. You’ve got the Sanbi, formerly of the Kirigakure.”

            “Do they get stronger the more tails they have?” Rin asked.

“Far as I can tell, no.”

            “Then why are there nine?”

            “Beats me. All I can say is there are definitely nine of the same class – no more, no less –and one of the first tasks the first Kages tackled was restraining these beasts, which was pretty easy, since some of them had already been sealed away, you know? Anywho, once that was finished they got distributed amongst the Big Five, but we can address that later.” Kushina flashed a grin. “Next question: are you familiar with the concept of Jinchuriki?”

            Rin shook her head.

            “Well, in short, you’re a Jinchuriki. Longer version, you’re one of the vessels to contain the aforementioned Demons of legend.”

            Rin’s hand instinctively went to the seal on her stomach. “Why would people do that?” she asked.

            Kushina shrugged. “Because it’s easier than stuffing them a jar and better than letting ‘em roam ‘round with impunity,” she replied, “gives the vessel some additional defenses and hides them in plain sight. The Tailed Beasts exist, and continue to exist despite all efforts to kill them, so measures were developed to keep them from destroying everything. While the existence of the Jinchuriki is sort of known, the exact identities are traditionally kept secret.” She paused, prodding the floor with her foot. “It’s also easier to use us as weapons, or super soldiers.”

            Rin’s eyes widened at the pronouns Kushina used. “You mean-?”

            “Yup, you’re looking at the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi,” the Uzumaki said, then jabbing her thumb to her chest, “and who better to teach you the ins and outs of your new status than Konoha’s very own?”

            Taking a breath, Rin blinked. “Um…this is a lot to take in.”

            “Well, that’s why we’re taking this powwow in bits and pieces,” Kushina said, tussling Rin’s hair. “By the way, I put a security seal on the room before we started. So, whenever we’re doing these sessions, if you want to talk about anything, whether it relates to being a Junchuriki or you just want to do some private girl-talk, you don’t have to worry about eavesdroppers.”

“Okay.”

            “Now, Minato had to do some tricky maneuvering to get your seal stabilized, as I don’t think the idiots who originally sketched it out had any intention of you surviving the ordeal. Luckily for you, he’s a genius, so we can go through with today’s training without issue.”

            “What are we going to do?” Rin asked, hesitantly.

            “You’re going to try to make contact with your new tenant.”

            “Already?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll walk you through it. And if it gives you trouble, I can yank you out and put a kibosh on any escape attempt.”

 

[NRE]

 

            “Norio, you’re married, right?” Obito asked from his end of the office.

            The Yamanaka barely paused. “Yes.”

“Did you ever love anyone else? Before her, I mean.”

Norio froze, fixing Obito with a stare. After a moment, the Uchiha mentally backpedaled.

            “Sorry. That does sound kind of bad. And more than a little personal, um…you don’t have to answer that.”

            “Relax,” the Yamanaka said, raising a hand. “Why do you ask?”

            “Um…” There was no easy way around it, so Obito gave as abbreviated of a summary of events. “I had a crush on someone, and that someone moved on after everyone thought I was dead. I was wondering if you had any advice.”

            The mind-reader was quiet for a time. “To answer your question, yes. I did love another before I started dating Yusako.”

            “How did you move on?”

            Norio took off his glasses, taking out a cloth to wipe them down. “Part of it was Yusako admitting her own feelings. It was a rather…tense time for us. Having a brush with death tends to do that. It still took some time before I reciprocated.” Pausing to replace his glasses, he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I guess that’s the best advice I can offer: give yourself time.”

            “Even if it hurts?”

            “ _Especially_ because it hurts. Just like your body is recovering, your heart needs time to recover. Just remember to lean on your friends. And who knows? You may find the answers when and where you least expect.”

            Obito was skeptical, but it was something to think about.

           

[NRE]

 

            The field around the memorial stone. Obito stared at the names listed, frequently checking back at his own, as if expecting it to disappear the moment he looked away.

            He wasn’t sure what to think of that was good or bad.

            “You ever feel like you’re dead, but everyone’s just too polite to say anything about it?”

            “Sometimes,” Rin replied, kneeling in the grass. “Why do you ask?”

            “My name,” he explained. “They still haven’t removed it.”

            Kakashi glanced at Rin, then to Obito. “We’re still at war. They probably won’t get around to it until after the fighting is finished.”

            Obito winced a little. Even though they had all gotten back together, there were still so much they needed to talk about, but didn’t know how. So they just asked awkward questions and got awkward answers in return, going in circles.

            A rush of wind prompted the trio to turn to a freshly arrived Minato, mercifully ending the uncomfortable silence.

            “Good,” their team leader said, “you’re all here.”

            “What have you got for us, Sensei?” Kakashi asked.

“I’m getting to that.” Minato cleared his throat. “Obito, you’re mostly recovered. Once you’re cleared for light duty, you’ll be joining Orochimaru’s team for scouting missions.”

            “Seems kind of overkill for one of the Sannin,” Rin wondered aloud.

            “He’s working with several genin teams, either fresh out of the Academy or recomposed from broken teams, and getting them all up to speed. As a chunin, you’re going to be helping him facilitate their training and speed it along.”

            “Okay,” Obito said, furrowing his brow. “What about Rin?”

            The girl in question frowned. Minato rested a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.

            “Rin’s off the field for now,” said Minato. “With the recent disturbances in her chakra pathways, she is going to have to be reevaluated before she can resume her duties as a medic.”

            _Disturbances,_ Obito thought with a twinge of bitterness. _A funny thing to call having a demon locked in your gut._ He didn’t voice this, and nodded numbly. “What about you and Kakashi?”

            “Kakashi and I headed back to Kusa in a couple of days.

            Rin and Obito glanced towards each other. “So soon?” he asked.

            “Even though it’s winding down, the war is still ongoing,” Minato said. “Don’t look at me like that. We’ll be back together soon.” He huddled the team together. “By the way, Obito. I’m leaving it up to you and Kushina to take care of the place while I’m gone.”

            “Oh.” Obito gulped, suppressing the shiver crawling up his spine. He had spent months with Madara, he could handle working with Kushina. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, it’s been awhile since I posted something to this story. Reason for that is because I added a character to the Konoha lineup that necessitated a reshuffle of the cast and certain plot threads I had originally envisioned. On the plus side, I was able to trim or combine extraneous characters and cut down on some filler that I was struggling to justify.
> 
> Aside from that, there was a bit of exposition, including a verbal dump on the Sharingan/Mokuton Singularity that dominated later canon. While both have significance that will be explored later, they aren’t the magical superpower that anyone can pop into themselves. For now, I’ll just say that I do have a plan and explanation for the how it works.
> 
> As for the next chapter, the Sannin all make an appearance:  
> \- Jiraiya pays the Namikaze house a visit.  
> \- Rin experiences the joys of Tsunade’s training methods.  
> \- Obito gets introduced to Orochimaru and Anko.
> 
> Questions? Comments? Concerns? Feel free to leave a review or a PM, and I’ll see you on the flipside.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N (originally posted 11-JUN-2016): Okay, for those of you curious, this is initially going to be a one-shot. I have pages of notes and a complete, if rough synopsis written down for this. However, I want to get more progress for both Apocalyptian Saga and Finding Yourself before really working on it.  
> I’ll post an update when that happens.
> 
> (11-JUN-2019): Woohoo! The promised update! And I got at least one of those things mentioned things accomplished before I got around to this story again, which shall be henceforth titled Naruto: Re. 
> 
> A bit of forewarning: this is something of a hard reset AU, primarily working off of the benefit of hindsight to reshape and reorder canon. Expect a number of details, big and small, to be somewhat altered or reordered. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then now might be a good time to hop off this crazy train.
> 
> Some changes currently in the books:  
> \- As obvious, Obito is returning to Konoha, and Rin survives her kidnapping.  
> \- Madara’s plan has different reasons, and his character have been altered to reflect this (as some of his dialogue already indicates).  
> \- General balancing for both pacing and balance, with the intent to expand to the roles of the Konoha 12 (among others).
> 
> I’ll try to keep you updated as the details become relevant. Feel free to ask questions, as it’s been well over two years since I’ve comprehensively read or watched Naruto. I’ll let you know whether to differences from continuity are intentional or accidental. Now, on with the show.


End file.
